Author: festreviews

Interview with Writer/Director Matthew Putnam (THE CHRISTOPHER NOLAN EXPERIENCE)

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The Christopher Nolan Experience, 77min., Canada
Directed by Matthew Putnam, Diego Pereira
When struggling creative Christopher Nolan is dumped by his girlfriend upon her discovery that he is not the legendary director of films such as Oppenheimer and Interstellar, he decides to prove himself by staging a play adaptation of The Dark Knight. “The Christopher Nolan Experience” captures the behind-the-scenes efforts leading up to this anticipated disaster.

https://www.instagram.com/thechristophernolanexperience/

Get to know writer/director Matthew Putnam:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

A: After graduating from Toronto Film School, I got to experience the struggle of trying to break into the film industry from scratch. I had all of these expectations and I felt like I had to prove to everyone that I was good enough to “make it”. But that made the work a lot less fun and a lot more stressful. It wasn’t until I started making short films and doing comedy skits with my friends that I started to have fun doing creative projects again. That experience of being a struggling creative trying to prove themselves, only to discover that’s not what it’s about, inspired me to make this film.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

A: About 18 months. I first had the idea for the film in January of 2024, started writing the script in February, started rehearsals with the cast in May, we shot on two weekends in August, and then the final cut of the film was finished by the end of June 2025.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

A: Fun & Energetic

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

A: The biggest obstacle for me as a producer of the film was the limited budget. The film was all paid for out of pocket, and so a lot of it was made using whatever our team had already. Then as the writer, anticipating these constraints while writing the film forced me to be a bit more limited in the scale of what we could do, while at the same time, trying not to limit the story.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

A: It made me so happy to hear that external audience members found our film funny! Comedy is so subjective, so I was nervous that people outside of our team’s inner circle wouldn’t get the jokes or wouldn’t find our bits funny. So it warmed my heart to hear one of the audience members say she couldn’t stop laughing. There are lots of goals we had when making the film, but at the end of the day if you’re making a comedy, the main goal has to be making audiences laugh.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

A: In Grade 10 of high school I enrolled in the Musical Theatre program (with co-star Nick Smoljanovic), and through that I discovered a love for acting and for putting on a show for audiences. I also have always really enjoyed watching movies and going to the theatre, so those two things ended up joining together into a passion for making films.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

A: The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan. Which should come as no surprise to those who have seen this film. A close second would be The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

A: I think all of the opportunities you are providing are absolutely brilliant and in some cases singular. You are providing really cool and unique experiences for filmmakers to showcase themselves and their projects. My only recommendation would be adding an in-person screening element. I know myself and my team would have gladly bought tickets and jumped at the chance to experience our film in a theatre like we have at some other festivals.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

A: FilmFreeway is very useful and I have had no trouble finding and submitting to festivals on that site. It is also a very helpful tool to help build out a profile for our films.

10. What is your favorite meal?

A: Steak and Boiled Potatoes OR Mac and Cheese

11. What is next for you? A new film?

A: I have already written a script for a short film that would bring a lot of the same creative team back from The Christopher Nolan Experience if I decide to make it.

Interview with Filmmaker Roland Wehap (A FILM BY ROLAND WEHAP)

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A Film by Roland Wehap, 29min., Austria
Directed by Roland Wehap
The film “A Film by Roland Wehap” is a work by the filmmaker of the same name, Roland Wehap, who, as a “one-man show filmmaker,” challenges the concept itself by embarking on an extraordinary experiment: Is it possible to produce a short film with almost no budget entirely on your own?

http://a-film-by-roland-wehap.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I’m what you would normally call a “solo filmmaker” — meaning I take on the key roles in my films myself: writing, camera, directing, and editing. Since I mainly work on documentaries, that approach works quite well. Of course, even there I have a small team supporting me — but really, very small.

One day, I started wondering what it would be like to make a short fiction film in the same way. So from the very beginning, it wasn’t just an idea, but also a challenge: to do as much as possible on my own on this project.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I started writing the script eight years ago. Even though the whole project was extremely demanding to realize — since I had to take on all the roles in front of and behind the camera — that doesn’t mean I worked on it constantly.

My second personal challenge was to make the film with as little budget as possible. I didn’t want to become dependent on anyone, so I gave up on grants and other funding sources and financed everything out of my own pocket. But for those who like the film, the props are now available for purchase at inflated prices in the fan shop on the website www.a-film-by-roland-wehap.com .

Since I financed it myself, I could only work on it during breaks between other commercial projects.

Looking back, I think that actually benefited the film. Letting things rest, taking your time — after a year or two, you suddenly see the story in a different light and can refine it.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Don’t quit.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

There were several obstacles along the way, but the biggest one was probably perseverance. Writing a script is relatively easy, but the moment you start thinking about how to actually make it — especially alone and with almost no budget — that’s when the moment of truth arrives.

It was perhaps less an obstacle and more a fear: that I might never be able to finish this film.

When it was almost done, I had to leave for an extended commercial shoot in Africa. And I remember thinking, it would be really stupid to get eaten by a lion now, just before the finish line.

So I actually wrote a will, outlining exactly what still needed to be done — and who should do it. Fortunately, the lion didn’t eat me, and I was able to finish the film myself.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Of course, I was happy that people enjoyed the film. But what pleased me even more was that the hidden messages I had woven into it also came across. It’s not just a satire or a comedy — there’s a lot of truth in it.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Very early on — that’s actually part of the story in the film, and it’s true. My father used to make family movies on 8mm film. When I was sixteen, I grabbed the camera, bought a film cartridge, and two weeks later, when the developed film arrived in the mail and ran through the projector for the first time — I was hooked.

At first, it was just a hobby, but I absorbed everything I could learn about filmmaking. Back then, it wasn’t as easy as it is today with the internet. So I never went to film school — it was all learning by doing.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

That really depends on how you look at the question. Realistically, my own films — because before they’re finished, you watch them so many times, over and over again, that by the end you can’t stand to see them anymore. I also don’t like watching my older films, because I just get annoyed by all the mistakes I see in them.

But if we’re talking about films I actually enjoy watching multiple times, then it’s the ones by Tarantino, Scorsese, and Herzog.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

You’re already doing a lot of things right. Of course, it’s nice to get a laurel or even win an award. But I see filmmaking as a constant process of developing one’s own skills — and in that sense, feedback is incredibly important.

Most of the time, you only get an automated response or, at best, a polite form letter. But honest feedback helps you grow. When it’s positive, it makes you happy and motivates you to keep going; when it’s negative, you learn from your mistakes.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway is a great platform. In the past, I had to burn DVDs and mail them — which was also an added cost on top of the submission fees. Of course, there are other platforms, but given the sheer number of festivals out there, I’ve stuck with FilmFreeway; otherwise, it’s easy to lose track.

10. What is your favorite meal?

No particular dish — but Thai cuisine in general. I like it hot.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

That’s a question I get a lot — and I don’t really have a clear answer to it. First of all, there are commercial projects, because that’s how I make my living. Whether there will soon be another short film like this one, or perhaps a continuation of the project, I can’t say.

In general, though, I believe the world doesn’t need a new Roland Wehap film every year. There’s simply too much content out there, no matter where you look — and it’s not always the best. Sometimes, less is more.

Turning 33 Today: Miley Cyrus

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Watch the best of new films from around the world today by signing up for the FREE 3-DAY trial going to http://www.wildsound.ca (Also on Roku, FireStick, and your Itune (app))

  • People are watching like ‘Cute cat plays with yarn’ for three hours, a lot more than they’re watching anyone else’s music video. And it’s because it makes them happy, it makes them laugh, whatever. I wanted my video to make people laugh ’cause I’m the first one to make jokes about myself. My godmother is Dolly Parton who is constantly making fun of herself. She’s like, ‘It takes a lot of money to look this cheap, honey’. I wanted the video to be that kind of confident.
  • I really don’t like coke (cocaine). It’s so gross and so dark. It’s like what are you, from the Nineties? Ew.
  • Hopefully my hair grows really quick and next time you see me I’ll have a pony down to my butt. I just always want to be different. Everyone else has cut their hair to look just like me, so now I got to do something different. I don’t like when you walk in and you see a bunch of other yous.

November 2025 HORROR Underground Film & Screenplay Festival

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Deadline Today to Submit via FilmFreeway:

Ah truly fantastic experience all round. They really engage with you and your work – very, very highly recommended!

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My experience at the festival was wonderful, and I had the honor of winning the ‘Best Story’ award with my film ‘Submerged.’ The festival gave a lot of positive visibility to my film and the audience feedback is really helpful.

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We loved how this festival operates! We entered our film, Sanguine Deposit, and we were thrilled to screen with them, but the feedback video was amazing! For filmmakers submitting our first film, we found this valuable information and worth the price of entry. Thank you and best wishes on your ongoing festivals.

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Feature Film Review: A Knighter’s Tale (documentary)

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Deeply in debt and abandoned by his backer, hemmed in by storms and further twarted by a global pandemic, world champion motorcyclist David Knight must cut a path to his lifelong dream of racing in that deadliest of races: The Dakar.

Review by Andie Kay:

How can you not love that title? Makes you think of Heath Ledger, Alan Tudyk and James Purefoy in a rock n roll period film. This film definitely has the rock n roll, just a different kind of knight. David Knight. Who you’ll adore just as much as Heath Ledger. David Knight or Knighter as his friends and team mates call him is a motor bike racer, and a pretty incredible one.

Directed by Barney Edwards and written by Scott Allan, this feature film follows David’s career and the trials and tribulations he goes through to follow ( and succeed ) at his dream. It’s a feel good, marvelous story about going after your dreams and doing everything you can to attain them… with a killer soundtrack.

Andrew Brooke did an amazing job with the cinematography in this film. Watching David ride and the way this was directed, you almost feel like you are riding with him. The absolute stunning beauty of the drone shots left me spellbound.


Personally, I loved this film and getting the opportunity to hear David and his team mates talk about rally racing and getting to the Dakar Race. That race in and of itself is pretty intimidating and getting to experience what they all went through was really special. This had such a wonderful balance of interviews and stunning visuals, exciting racing to keep your interest throughout. If you have a love of racing, or just need to be inspired to pursue your dreams this is a film to watch.

Short Film Review: CHASING DIESEL. Directed by Graham Birch

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In London’s gritty underbelly, Jayce, a luckless thug with a heart of gold, must retrieve his boss’s dog, Diesel, who unknowingly carries a secret that could save a life. As Diesel becomes bait in a chaotic chase through the city’s labyrinth of underground tunnels, Jayce navigates deceit, betrayal, and comedic mishaps in a madcap adventure. The race is on to see who will get Diesel first.

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

Chasing Diesel is a UK short that offers edgy, cheeky entertainment from start to finish. The murky lighting, mostly in small rooms and cavernous passageways outside a castle-like structure serves the plot – – thugs strive to retrieve a valuable dog named Diesel. 

The coarse but witty banter of the screenplay allows for developing allegiances between characters, particularly the rather kind-hearted duo of a thief and his kidnapper. At times, the piece has a film noir feel to it as shady negotiations go on between criminals and at other moments there is an atmosphere of a head-to-head western, complete with harmonica and heavy country refrains. 

Cinematography choices are fabulous, especially when following characters down the long hallways, and close-up eye only shots as if cast members are in a shoot out at the O.K. Corral. An entertained audience will more than likely draw a sigh of relief as justice is done, and the unlikely good guys dodge a bullet. 

Feature Film Review: WACKO. Directed by Matthew J. Roch

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When lust, jealousy, and envy take control over tearing apart a family, it’s up to one to repay the personal vendetta.

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

The title of this feature, WACKO, does indeed match the chilling nature of what unfolds before us. But we do not just see a flat, stereotypical presentation of madness. This film gives us a many-layered look at a deeply wounded person, who has been through a lifetime of pain, trauma and betrayal. Numerous heartbreaking flashbacks of adolescent experiences provide a context for the central figure’s resentment and desire for revenge. The performances of the actors playing the captor and the captive are riveting. Jimmy gradually reveals how very bitter and unhinged he is, and Jack moves through several stages – – defiance, seemingly authentic contrition, and then a deep-seated, cursed hatred. 

Pacing of the film is on point and the tension builds, as people outside the house, such as Jack’s parents and a determined police unit, close in on Jimmy’s lair. Heavy rock refrains that slyly creep in during moments of highly dramatic action and dialogue serve to make this film even more visceral and raw.  

There is deliberately no reprieve from a menacing essence, given the constant murky lighting throughout. The terrifying hovel of a basement is suitably stagnant and claustrophobic, to keep the suffering Jack contained. The well-explored insanity stemming from early family tragedy, and vicious bullying comes full circle for the wacko Jimmy, leading him to a very dark place.

Short Film Review: THE INTERVIEW. Directed by Sara Bergamini, Daniele Zucchini

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review

Daniel has a job interview via Zoom, but at one point, he finds himself face to face with a projection of his mind that puts him in difficulty and makes fun of him.

Project Links

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

The short, The Interview, accurately plays into a nervousness many people experience before an important job interview. It clearly illuminates the negative self-talk that runs through the mind of the central figure, Daniel, personified by his alter-ego in the background in relaxed dress – – his harshest critic. Mental sabotage becomes a tangible thing, causing Daniel to question himself and to remember his interview mistakes of the past, and to worry about how the upcoming appointment will go. 

A clever filmic convention is the ongoing use of a pesky laugh track, as if his annoying inner self is ridiculing his choices and how he will come off in front of the online interviewer, including if he has something in his teeth. The fact that we see just a central panel of video gives us the impression of the job seeker’s intense focus on the screen. Technically, it is also quite helpful to see the translated texts at the top of the scene, for ease of comprehension. 

The set decoration that the interviewer will see in the background such as a stuffed toy, and Daniel’s wardrobe of a widely opened dress shirt and gold chains, both indicate that he is not the most professional of interviewees. But he is also relatable – – the fact that he has not considered wearing proper pants that may be viewed online is a problem for many in these days of Zoom meetings. He is indeed a sympathetic character, and viewers will likely still wish him the best in the job interview, a tense universal event that most of us have endured at one point or another.

Today’s FilmFreeway Testimonial: CHICAGO Feedback Film Festival

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Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

Thank you Chicago Feedback Film Festival for awarding our short film, ‘emma’ Best Visual Design! Receiving the fantastic feedback was not only uplifting for all involved in the project, but helps so very much with marketing and promotion for future projects – which we will doubtless be submitting to this wonderful festival in the future. Thanks again!